Marzieh Vafamehr was working in a film that highlights limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic.

An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for working in a film that highlights the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic.

Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested in July after appearing in My Tehran for Sale, which came under harsh criticism in conservative circles,the Telegraph reports.

The movie,produced in collaboration with Australia,is a story of a young actress in Tehran whose theatre work is banned by the authorities,and she is forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically.

The movie was not approved for screening in Iran,but was illegally distributed in the country,the paper said.

According to a Iranian Opposition website Kalameh.com,Vafamehr was handed the sentence on Saturday.

A verdict has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr,sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes, the website said.

Her lawyer has appealed the sentence,which was handed down yesterday (Saturday), it added.